Allwinner roadmap includes 64-bit processors in 2015

Chinese chip maker Allwinner is laying out plans for its upcoming processors and providing more details about two chips we’ve already heard a bit about: The Allwinner A23 dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 chip for budget tablets and the upcoming Allwinner A80 octa-core chip for higher-end devices.

The company is also laying out plans for its first 64-bit chips, although it could be a while before they’re ready to ship.

Allwinner calls the A23 the most efficient dual-core processor, which is probably a matter up for debate. But this chip is designed to offer low power consumption and moderate performance.

Allwinner A23

It features ARM Mali 400 MP2 graphics with support for OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics and 1080p HD video encodign and decoding. But this is clearly a chip aimed at budget devices, with support for screen resolutions up to 1280 x 800 pixels, 5MP cameras, and other mid-range specs.

Meanwhile the company plans to offer a line of octa-core chips under the Allwinner A8x brand. Like Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa, these chips will combine ARM Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7 processor cores, and applications will be able to use up to all 8 CPU cores at once.

Allwinner plans to release the first A8x series chips in the first quarter of 2014. The company plans to follow that chip up with an A7x chip in early 2015, and by late 2015 the company will introduced a 64-bit chip based on ARM Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57 architecture.

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With a max resolution of 1280 x 800 Allwinner is going to be behind the curve. Android is set to expand into many more devices (see story about Lenovo Android laptop). As screens get bigger 1280 x 800 isn’t going to cut it. Qualcom, Samsung, nVidia (and maybe Mediatek) will probably have “value” chips to compete with Allwinners best chip.

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The article says that’s for A23 a budget chip – that’s not their best chip. There’s the Allwinner A31.

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Yeah, it looks like an A20 with a bit higher clockspeed, but also lower memory bandwidth (smaller package, fewer pins for I/O)

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I manage to use FUll HD resolution on a Linux destlop with A20 (from wich A23 is inherited),on a Cubieboard2 :). I don’t really undestand what means this table so… Perhaps an optimal one of some kind of 2D or 3D bench ???

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But, but… all the cool kids are saying 64-bit is just a fad. Just look at all the posturing about iPhone 5s.

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You’ve read a few things wrong before. It’s still a fad in that technical sense NOW when only 10% of “in-house” apps available are 64 bit capable versus the 90% where users look out for as options in the ecosystem. It’s gonna be better later.

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64-bit CPU’s in mobile devices isn’t a fad in the technical sense NOW, unless you don’t know actually anything about technology. It is inevitable, and if it is inevitable, it makes sense for some companies to start making the transition now.

The fad is whining about how 64-bit doesn’t make sense in mobile now. I look forward to its passing.

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“64-bit CPU’s in mobile devices isn’t a fad in the technical sense NOW, unless you don’t know actually anything about technology. It is inevitable, and if it is inevitable, it makes sense for some companies to start making the transition now.” You’ve presumed a view I didn’t portray. Again that’s what I meant by “read a few things wrong”. No one said ARMv8’s arch shouldn’t happen at all myself included. Never said that. I was addressing the complaint where the 5S potshots are mostly based on Apple’s own walled garden approach which in effect benefits only them and the user base involved, thereby not really much of a catalyst as far as industry wide is concerned. Only on the part where 5S swooped the carpet off all the players’ by bringing the arch in their SoC 1st but overall it’s not entirely a shocker. They’re 1st out of the gate?… Read more »

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